1978

What we would buy, and why

You can buy with confidence here, and the decision is about style rather than damage limitation. Bordeaux 1978 is the sensible middle: a classed growth at €250–450 will be mature but still firm. If you want the bottle that makes people put their glass down and look at it, that is northern Rhône or Barolo, and those command real money.

1978 in the world

Louise Brown was born in Oldham on 25 July 1978, the first baby conceived by IVF. More than ten million people have since arrived the same way.

Best bets for 1978

• Château Léoville-Las Cases, Ducru-Beaucaillou or Pichon-Lalande 1978 — €250–450
• Château Haut-Brion or La Mission Haut-Brion 1978 — Graves was the standout appellation, €600–1,200
• Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 1978 — one of the legendary bottles of the century, €800–1,500
• Barolo 1978 from Bruno Giacosa, Bartolo Mascarello or Conterno — the greatest Barolo year of the era, from about €400

How we grade a bottle

Fill level, label, capsule and cork, then provenance. Every bottle is checked by hand by people who have handled thousands of old bottles, and we write down the flaws as well as the good news. What the fill levels mean · How to choose a birth-year wine